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Thursday, 26 April 2012

Disney African Cats Is Awesome

I grew up in the 70's on a TV diet of The Wonderful World of Disney. The already dated True-Life Adventures created my love of wildlife documentaries.

Originally released in the early 1950's the documentaries were unique, enlightening, magical and totally awe-inspiring.
Walt Disney famously said that "Nature writes the screenplays," and last night whilst sitting in a packed cinema with my own children watching African Cats, I totally felt the magic of Disney once again.

The new DisneyNature film is essentially a story of family life. A single mother raising five children on her own and an ageing mother desperately trying to keep up with her toddler. But these are big cats not humans.

Sita is a strong, formidable cheetah with five (very cute) bundles of fluff and Layla, the most experienced lioness of the River Pride is struggling to regain her strength following an injury whilst hunting.

The cinematography on this movie is breathtaking, the Masai Mara planes may look stunningly beautiful but they are full of danger for both Layla and Sita. Each mother struggling in different ways.

I'm not going to spoil the story but African Cats is quite simply the best movie experience I've had in a long, long time.

As we were at the Royal Premiere along with the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge we also got to take part in a Q & A with some of the crew and listen to the Duke speak about his own conservation work with TUSK.

It was a truly amazing night. I was with Sonny (11), Biba (10) and Betty (8) and they all loved it too. As Biba said to Betty;

"Not everyone can say they just watched a movie with the future king."

I guess she's right!

If there's one movie you go to see over the next few weeks - make it African Cats.